Fighting Algae for what seems like forever

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armada

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Jul 14, 2013
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I'm new to this site, but there is alot of great information. For background, I have a 15 x 30 x 52 inch deep oval, roughly 13,200 gallons by the pool calculator. Seems like I've been doing this yo yo dance between the white pool, green pool and corresponding trips to the pool store. Our pool has a milky green haze. I cant see two feet into it. We have been shocking like crazy to break the cholorine lock. I shocked again this morning with two gallons. My readings as of this morning are;

FC 5.74
Tc 6.84
Ph 7.9
Hardness 601
Alkalinity 237
Cyanuric Acid 59
Copper 0.2
Iron 0.1

I added two gallons of shock this morning per the stores direction to break the lock. Pool looks the same.

The Alk has been jumping up and down, we follow the pool store direction, muriatic acid to drop it, Alk up to raise it, Muriatic acid to drop again? Seems to me that 's a sign of guess work, not actually knowing what to do.

Yesterdays readings were;

FC 8.1
TC 10.42
Ph 6.6
Hardness 180ppm
Alk 0 ppm (yes zero)
CYA 32 ppm
Coper 0
Iron 0

Last night I added 14 pounds of Alk up; after the store recommended 26. How can the Hardness change by adding PH up?

Ay recommendations; we are close to being beyond frustrations and just taking it down. It's going to be in the 90's the next few days and I am very afraid of what it will do.

Thanks,
 
Sorry I read the Read this before you post, after I posted.

MY pool is vinyl lined, cartridge filter. 6 years olds, problems started one year ago and been fighting ever since. Use Cholorine tabs in the skimmer three tabs, twice per week. Shock and Swim once per week.
 
Welcome to tfp, armada :wave:

armada said:
I have a 15 x 30 x 52 inch deep oval, roughly 13,200 gallons by the pool calculator
Click to expand...
I think your pool volume is 11500 gallons since the water level is usually 6 inches shorter than the wall height.

Forger about what you have heard called "chlorine lock" it does not exist. What does exist is algae in your water that will continue to consume your chlorine until you get rid of it. To do this follow the SLAM process: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/shocking_your_pool

What are you using for testing? If those are pool store results, our experience has been that they are not reliable enough (or taken often enough) to be useful.

To do the SLAM process most efficiently you will need an appropriate test kit. See this pool school article: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison
 
May we assume that those are pool store test numbers? Just look at the discrepancy on things that shouldn't have changed but did. Without a good test kit, best guess would be to take your FC level to 20 and hold it there per the SLAM process in pool school. See the chlorine/cya chart there as well. Use the pool calculator there to determine how much BLEACH you should add to reach 20. Please consider ordering one of the 2 test kits we recommend........and we'll fix it for ya' with accurate numbers!
 
Well, this one's easy to guess.

1) Pool Store results.
2) I'm willing to bet the CYA level is waaay higher than 59. Which means the chlorine level needs to be maintained much higher than the 3 ppm most pool stores call optimal. Tell me, did you drain a whole bunch of water? And if not, how do you account for the CYA level to have dropped 27 PPM overnight?
3) You have something growing in your pool. TC-FC = CC. Your CC level is too high - that much of the test results I believe.

Solution -and I'm assuming you're in a hurry now, since it's been like this a year - order your own test kit. Right now. Before you reply. You're working blind without one. And you can't test the pool store results - look at the CYA readings!!! Best deal, fastest shipping, best choice for you is the TF100 with the XL option. And then , once you have it in your hands, a full set of tests. Then you can decide if and how much water needs to be replaced to lower the CYA level, adjust pH, and accurately test and dose the pool to SLAM it properly.

Do it right this time, and that's it. You can keep it sparkling clean from here on out really easily.

Still not convinced? Lots worse than yours.
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Your yo-yo analogy is classic pool store.

Like everyone is saying get the test kit and let us help you. When your pool water is fixed you'll see how easy it is to maintain yourself with our methods.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
 
Test kit is ordered. Should be in Tuesday, test Tuesday night. Between now and then any advice on what I should put in? For Robert, the CYA numbers were Saturday morning (32) and Sunday morning (52). I had added stabilizer Thursday / Friday, pool store said this will climb over time? Is this correct?
 
Armada,
What can we say? If your probably-incorrect Pool Store CYA number was even nearly correct, than your Thursday number of 32 was very good.

Then they told you to add more, which probably brought you up too high, if any of their numbers are even remotely believable.

You see, powder/granulated CYA can take a full week to dissolve and show up on tests. Liquid, much faster.

They have certainly gotten you to spend lots of cash in their store, that's for sure.

The green in your pool is likely algae, and the milky haze might be attributed to any of several chemical or organic issues.

We look forward to your test results, upon the arrival of your kit, and we will guide you through the adjustment of the chemistry of your pool, to safe, sparkling and clear.

Starting Tuesday, you'll learn and understand by practice the simplicity of the TFP system, and you'll be managing your pool like a pro in no time!
Welcome! :wave:
 
The test kit will be here today sometime so I will post results latter tonight, while I wait for that, I've been trying to not loose ground by adding liquid cholrine, stirring the ppola and cleaning the filter regularly. Which has lead me to two questions; 1) I use two fitlers (cartridge) one a year old; one brand new. I typically was removing one; put the other in; the dirty filter would get a thorough washing with the hose; then soaked over night in a filter cleaner solution. I would do this every three of four days. I noticed a trend that with the older filter the pool would seem to go back to green. I've looked at the bleats and there is some residual in the bleats but I'm wondering can there be enough organic matter in the bleats to actually be a cholorine consumer? I have stoped using the old filter becuase it's not worth the risk but would like to know.
Question 2) Our pool is placed far to close to a row of pine trees; something I know now but cannot or will not fix. There are no pine needles in the pool though; but in the spring there were some that had worked there way in over the winter. While cleaning the new filter last night, I kept washhing out pine needles. This horrifying thought came to me; we have dual center drains, both of which had alot of pine needles around them this spring after a large storm. Between the drain and the filter there are four 90 degree corners and about 20 feet of pipe, all of which are prime places for pine needles to accumulate. What is the probability that I have a pine needle storage system built in which is my source of organic's and how do I get them out without disassembling the pool? I have a two speed filter and am considering turning off the skimmer input and run only center drain for a few hours on high to suck out the possible debris? Any thoguths?
 

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Got Test kits and here's the numbers

I got my test kit today; oddly enough, the pool is clearing up, still slightly cloudy and small amounts of green.

Ph 7.5 - 7.8
FC 2.5
CC 1.0
TC 3.5
TA 270 (yes counted right)
CYA 50.

Based on the pool calculator; I need to add 19 oz of 12.5% bleach; (I have one gallon left) and add 54 ounces of Muriatic Acid then areate. Does this sound correct? Or, do I slam it and make sure it's all dead?
 
With the CC of 1.0 and still cloudy with some green I would keep SLAMMING. Might want it lower PH down to 7.2 also.

Your done when
1 pass OCLT
2 CC of 0.5 or less
3 water is crystal clear.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
 
Re: Got Test kits and here's the numbers

armada said:
I got my test kit today; oddly enough, the pool is clearing up, still slightly cloudy and small amounts of green.

Ph 7.5 - 7.8
FC 2.5
CC 1.0
TC 3.5
TA 270 (yes counted right)
CYA 50.

Based on the pool calculator; I need to add 19 oz of 12.5% bleach; (I have one gallon left) and add 54 ounces of Muriatic Acid then areate. Does this sound correct? Or, do I slam it and make sure it's all dead?
Click to expand...
Lower pH to about 7.2 with acid. Give it half an hour or so to mix, then jack the FC level up. SLAM it!

The pH will rise all by itself. Don't bother testing it if the FC is above 10, it will read wrong anyway. Once the pool is clear and you're done with SLAMming it, worry about TA. It's the last thing to mess with, when you're bored.
 
Not sure if I have seen 6.5%...do you mean 6% or the now more commonly available 8.25%? If 6% then I get 547 oz, and if 8.25% I get 398 oz. I used poolcalculator.com for the calculations and 20 ppm FC.
 
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